


From alleviation to affection

by Rezakeene



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 12:57:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8209387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rezakeene/pseuds/Rezakeene
Summary: The circumstances that brought them together were no longer present. Does their unique relationship is going to turn into something more?





	

"You're late", drawled an arrogant voice.

"Tell me something, I don't know", she stated in a very irritated voice. She looked up at the other person at the table, her best friend to ask for her favorite drink. But he already was on his way. She smiled proudly, he knew her all too well.

"So what's the reason for your tardiness, today Granger?" repeated the arrogant voice again.

"Tardiness! Are we still at school Malfoy? Even at school I was always on time", she declared.

"Yes we are the only ones privileged to witness the great Hermione Granger's protraction".

"You" She began but was cut off, when a glass was slammed in front of her. She looked up to see into the sparkling emerald eyes dancing in mirth.

"There you go, Hermione. Your drink", said Harry pushing the glass closer to her.

"Thanks Harry. You are life saver", she said delightedly taking the glass and relishing its taste. She sipped the dark colored drink as the offensive drink slowly tainted her lips. She licked them gathering the drink that was still lingering there, making a delicious sound in her throat. Harry's eyes stayed a bit more than usual on them before he looked away, the action that was not missed by the grey eyes of the blond sitting in front of them. Draco winked at Harry throwing him a knowing look.

Harry glared at him, but Draco smiled and muttered," I don't know why you fight it".

"What?" Hermione asked completely unaware about the interaction between the other two.

"Nothing. Tell me about your day", said Harry.

"You know how it is. It got rejected again".

"I don't know why do you even try Granger? You have been fighting a lost cause."

"I accepted your argument on elves, Draco. After few chats with them I understood their predicament. I may not totally agree with you on that, but I made peace with the fact that they don't want to be freed".

"Well, you are definitely a fast learner", that was from Harry toasting his drink towards the blond.

"Harry, not you too. You are just encouraging him".

"You have to pick your battles, sweetheart. Releasing Grawp into the normal society isn't one of them", said the boy-who-lived taking a casual sip of his own drink

Hermione glared at him while Draco chuckled a sophisticated smile.

She put her empty glass down and rose. "If you both keep on demeaning the effort I put down for the magical beings, I may as well leave". She turned to leave the place but two strong hands pulled her back.

"Stay", two voices said behind her.

She tentatively turned towards to Harry.

"We will behave, I promise," he assured her but her eyes darted towards her former enemy.

He was not saying anything, but there was a hesitation behind his eyes.

"He will too", Harry said again. But when the same proclamation did not come from Draco, he heard a sharp kick from under the table that followed by a painful groan.

She smiled when Draco blurted, "I will behave", in a voice, his face grimacing in pain. She proudly sat back in her chair enjoying her light victory.

"What did you do that for, Potter? I bruise like a peach", Draco said rubbing his knee where he felt the kick.

"Aw Draco, you're quoting a muggle show. I thought I'd never see that day", Hermione said giving a high five to Harry.

"Ha ha Bite me Granger".

"Cut it out, you two. I don't want to spend this night in the midst of an old bickering couple", Harry said putting his foot down.

"Don't be a spoilsport Harry! You know how much I enjoy tickling that blond git".

"Clearly, not as much as I do", Draco supplied.

"I agree", she said this time giving Draco a high five and childishly poking her tongue out at Harry.

Harry burst out laughing and other two couldn't help but join. Hermione was the first one recovering from that. She pouted at her empty glass and got up get a refill.

"Let me", Draco tried to stop her, but she gently shook her head and headed to the bar maneuvering through the crowded pub.

"You're so obvious, Potter. You might as well propose to her".

"Draco If you talk like that anymore, you are just going to drive her away. And, that is not our task today", Harry said glancing back at her. She was chatting with a bartender animatedly. He chuckled and turned to Draco whose eyes were still locked onto the girl they both admired.

"I can say that it is accomplished", Draco said with an expression that was quite unlike Malfoy.

"You think so?"

"I am sure Harry", said Draco giving him a heartwarming smile. He then slowly got up moving to the men's room.

"I sincerely hope you are right", Harry muttered closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.

It has been 10 years since the second wizarding war. It had been that many years they have formed their tentative friendship that has transcended into something exceptional. The events that triggered their unusual friendship flashed in front of Harry's eyes.

When they found each other, they were crippled, crushed and shattered. Harry lost his will to live when he encountered the battered body of Ginny. He didn't cry or grieve. Aftermath, he worked restlessly into everything that was happening around. He barely ate and never slept. He became a walking corpse. Ron had gone missing, not able to bear the deaths of his brother and his sister.

Draco was in a different position. He lost his mother to a deatheater who killed her, for the lie she told Voldemort, for the sake of Draco. His father was dragged to Azkaban for the crimes he had committed under Voldemort's name. The only thing Draco cared about was his family. To save them he didn't hesitate to commit a murder and embraced all their hatred. Now that very family was taken away from him. He became despondent and he too began to slowly lose his will to survive.

That's how they met on the Astronomy tower that day to gauge their lives. The whole night passed between them as they gazed into the night sky. They held their hands and poured all their grief and comfort into that tiny gesture. That night Harry slept for the first time after the battle and that was where Draco got a little peace of mind.

That was how Hermione found them the next morning. She didn't disturb them but slowly snuggled herself between them seeking their unspoken amenity. She had been to Australia to bring her parents back. She was able to track them and restore their memories. She was able to convince them to forgive her but she understood when they said they needed some time to mull things over. Ron's absence conjoined with her parents' displeasure made Hermione downtrodden. All three of them found peace with each other and they slowly transformed into friends.

Hermione was the one who was level headed in three of them. She kept the cool ground between the two hotheaded young men who were just coming out of their grief. Nobody spoke about their newly formed friendship. They didn't care why Harry befriended a deatheater or why Draco started to warm upto a Muggleborn.

After the war was won, all of them especially the younger generation realized what exactly they have lost. They paid heavily to the path of freedom with their innocence. Harry and Draco still harbored those lingering feelings of hatred in their minds. But Hermione ran to their rescue whenever such situations arose.

All that shattered one day. Hermione was coming back to London after few restoration projects at Hogwarts and she wanted to enjoy one last ride on the Hogwarts express back home. Harry couldn't join her and said that he would directly meet her at Grimmauld place that evening. Draco had already left to Malfoy Manor to oversee some of the work by the aurors. Hermione was quite excited about this as her parents seemed to have forgiven her and were coming to meet her at the kings cross just like old times. But instead of meeting them in person she descried the sight of their mangled bodies lying in the pool of blood and wreckage.

A large truck crushed their car from behind, when they were riding to Kings cross to meet their daughter.

When Harry found about the reason of Hermione's absence that day, he rushed to her but not before sending his patronus to Draco. He saw her sitting on a pavement outside a muggle hospital totally drenched in the rain. She did not look up when Harry put her arm around her pulling her into him. She just leaned into his embrace, her tears then started coming out when the barriers of her emotion were released.

She never realized when another set of arms ensconced her from the other side. As her tears slowly ebbed she looked at her friends. Harry slowly lifted her up and took her inside with Draco just after them.

When the news of Hermione's Parents' demise was received, many have extended their support. Molly and Arthur have gathered Hermione into their embrace, all of them trying to fill the gap they are experiencing. Molly and Arthur grieving for their lost daughter and Hermione her parents. Ron was still missing and nobody has heard from him after that day. They have returned with the reassurances they can always be reached under any circumstances. Hermione gave all of them her mandatory replies under her carefully put up mask.

Harry and Draco stayed with her through all the time. They have seen her customary behavior in the mornings and witnessed her heartbreaks after the dark. But they have seen her lose everything on the day when she laid her parents to rest. She did not have any more tears left that day. She had managed to escape from both of her friends.

Harry had lost his marbles when he found out that she was gone. He frantically began to search from door to door through the places he thought she might have gone. When he didn't find her he got hysterical.

"Try your Patronus, Potter", Draco had suggested coolly.

Harry had almost kissed him with gratitude when he heard his suggestion and immediately cast his patronus. His beautiful silver friend led them into a muggle pub. There they found their friend totally sloshed and blabbering about her woes to an empty table. Well what pub would be crowded on a weekday afternoon?

Harry had apparated all three of them to Hermione's parents' home and settled her into her childhood bedroom. He laid her on her bed pulled her close lying down with her. Draco did the same on the other side. Harry thought she might have dozed off and tried to get up.

"Harry", said Hermione tightening her grip on his shirt.

"Yes, sweetie", Harry asked pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Did you know that they forgave me", she said burrowing into him.

Draco tried to move from that place feeling like he was intruding in a very private moment between the friends. But she dragged him back by putting her leg on top his. He plopped down on the bed when Harry glared at him.

"I'm glad to know that Hermione. They always wanted the vey best thing for you. They encouraged your education at Hogwarts in spite of their reservations, because that's what you wanted. They were some of the nicest people I have ever known. It was very unfortunate that things have to come to this", said Harry in a very soothing voice.

Draco tried to replicate the same emotion by his actions by gently rubbing her back.

Hermione nodded mutely looking into the emerald irises of her best friend. She would have stopped, if she thought they would be some serious repercussions for the thing she had started, but currently she didn't care and blindly gave into the comfort her friends were offering. Without any further thought she pressed her lips into his.

Both the boys were shocked by the sudden turn of events. Harry recovered first and kissed her back. Draco had enough. He didn't want to be the third wheel between them and tried harder to escape from her tight grip. If he was shocked first, then he was definitely thunderstruck by what she did next. She turned towards Draco and took his lips between hers. She slowly intensified her kiss and Draco could not help but give into it.

When she turned to Harry this time, he tasted Draco on her. As she was lost in her kiss, both green and grey eyes met over her shoulder. Harry saw hesitancy in his friend's eyes and sighed. He peeled Hermione from him and laid her on the bed, but she was not having any of it.

"Potter, she needs this. Don't think", Draco said as Hermione starting pulling Harry's shirt seeking contact with his bare skin. Harry finally gave up giving in to his primal urges when he felt the shivers running down his skin at her contact.

He hungrily claimed her mouth and helped her eager hands to remove his shirt. She attacked his neck making Harry moan at her ministrations. He slowly turned her towards the blond who was feasting on her neck. When he came face to face with the offending zipper of her dress, he lowered it exposing the creamy skin of her back. When he looked at them, he saw Draco was already moving the dress of her shoulders after having removed his own shirt.

What happened after that was a mere blur to Harry. When they became from topless to entirely nude, his mind didn't register. The only thing he vaguely remembered was asking her permission before claiming her ultimate treasure. Stars exploded behind Harry's eyes when he pounded into his best friend. He tried holding back his release but couldn't as he was totally overwhelmed by her tightness. He didn't feel bad as Draco took her this time. Harry supported her as she arched back with a totally new sensation.

She screamed their names in her throes of passion as Draco brought her to climax. Looking at her in that way had undone Draco and he too gave into the pressure he was holding back.

Hermione now completely exhausted, leaned back on Harry's shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Harry gave Draco a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder while Draco laid his head back on the pillow. He gave Harry a tentative smile and closed his eyes.

But Harry could not sleep, that night. Guilt was clawing at him. He looked at them. He looked at the tangled bodies on the bed. They were so intertwined that he could not make out where was the beginning or where was the end.

He had taken advantage of Hermione in her most vulnerable state. How will he be able to forgive himself? How could anybody forgive him? But he remembered Draco's words. Well, may be she needed it. But they also needed it. But when he saw small stains of blood on her mattress, he could not take it anymore. He moved the sleeping form of Hermione from him and placed her next to Draco. He automatically moved his arms around her enveloping her small form into him.

Harry sighed put on his pants and moved to the kitchen. He wanted something strong to forget what had happened. He poured some strong whiskey and sat down on one of the chairs in the dining area. It was not long when another person joined him. Draco had come down in the same state as Harry.

Harry wordlessly poured him a glass and passed to him.

"I didn't know she was a virgin Potter".

Harry took a long sip and said, "Me neither". He pulled his hair cursing loudly. "How could I have been that stupid"? He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at Draco.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Harry. Trust me she needed that. She wanted somebody to take care of her. You are the one she is most comfortable with. She is not going to regret any of this", the blond said and pulled Harry closer to him. "Come here", he said and gave him a chaste kiss on Harry's lips. It was unusual for Draco to call him Harry. Even through out their new friendship Draco usually called them by their last names. If he used their first names, that meant the situation was entirely too emotional for him.

"Draco's right, Harry". Both the boys startled at the new voice coming for the stairs. They saw Hermione over there covered in a sheet. "Thank you so much. I am more than happy that my first time was with you", she said to both of them. "We can discuss this tomorrow. Now why don't you both come to bed", She came closer and hugged them both and disappeared into upstairs again.

"You go stay with her. I need some air to clear my mind", Draco said and looked into his eyes. "Thanks for everything", he said lastly as he disapparated without bothering to put his shirt on.

Harry finished his glass and went to join Hermione. She melted into him and Harry's eyes closed, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

But sadly for them that tomorrow never came and the discussion didn't happen. Nothing else changed between them, they did everything together. They helped each other and they remained best friends till date. They eventually went on to date different people. When Ron returned after months, the golden trio had a tear filled reunion. Eventually Hermione and Ron got together and Harry and Draco concentrated on their careers. They had random flings from time to time but none of them could turn into something more.

But every year they met at the same muggle pub on Hermione's parents' death anniversary and gave into that raw passion. That night remained a guarded secret between the three and they cherished it to all of their heart's worth.

Harry felt somebody rubbing his hair away from his forehead and same hand tracing his lightning bolt. He opened to see the warm brown eyes of the girl he had loved since Hogwarts.

She leaned back into her chair giving Harry an opportunity to sit back properly.

"How are you today?" he asked taking her hand into his.

She nodded but did not say anything. She never said anything that day. She immersed herself in work the whole day and came to them in the evening.

"How's Ron?" Harry asked.

"Oh! Don't ask. He is still the same. I don't know how Susan puts up with him. I give that woman the greatest award in patience. " Hermione huffed.

"Well, she perfectly knew what she was signing up for, when she married him", Harry supplied.

"But I am really happy for him that he found his contentment with her. God knows he was miserable when he was with me", Hermione reminisced her relationship with Ron. They dated for 2 years. She could not give him what he wanted and he could not provide the support she craved. They parted on good terms and were still best friends. Now she was a good friend and a godmother to Ron and Susan's daughter. She had not pursued any serious relationship since then.

"Honey, you both were miserable", said Harry.

"True story", Draco quipped as he joined them at the table.

"Mr. Grumpypants is back", Hermione said to Draco.

Draco glared at her and made the same childish expression of poking his tongue at her.

"Alright children, cut it out", declared Harry.

The atmosphere suddenly became tensed. Hermione looked at them both and stood, "I will be waiting for you". She turned and proceeded to the door.

Draco threw an alarmed look at Harry. They both quickly got up and followed her. Once they are out of the pub Hermione tried to apparate unaware about her friends following after her. Harry quickly grabbed Hermione's hand. "Hermione, Lets walk for a moment?" When she looked at confusingly, he muttered, "Lets just take a walk".

"Okay", she said following him onto the walkway with Draco just trailing after them. "What about?" She asked Harry when none of them started any kind of conversation even after 5 minutes into their walk.

"Our arrangement", Harry said.

"Oh!" said Hermione. Draco made a brief eye contact with her and turned to Harry conveying something nonverbally. Harry gave him a nod and turned to her.

"What's happening Harry? You guys are freaking me out. What ever it is just say it out."

The guys were still fidgeting.

"You are not happy with this? " asked Hermione, slightly tensed up.

"Yes, Hermione. We are not happy", Harry declared. Draco also nodded.

"Well, no problem, then. It is not a big deal at all. What ever we had it was good. May be it was time we put an end to it", stated Hermione. Her hyperventilation became very clear as she started fanning herself taking long breaths. She closed her eyes to stop the onslaught of tears.

Draco hauled himself closer to her while Harry's face paled. He took her face in her hands and looking into her eyes. "Love, why did you say that? Don't you know how much we look forward to this day?"

She blinked to clear the daze in her eyes. "Harry said you were not happy", said Hermione in between her sniffles.

"That's because Potter is an idiot and could not even say a word properly", said Draco glaring at Harry. Harry managed to let out an uncomfortable laugh.

"What do you mean then? What did you want to talk about?"

"Draco, let me?" Harry stopped Draco interrupting him.

"Alright Potter. Don't mess up this time".

Harry started taking her hand into his. "When I said we are not happy with this arrangement, I wanted you to know that we are not happy to be with you just for this day. I am not happy to visualize your face whenever I am with another girl. I don't want to spend all my year looking forward to this one day".

"We want to be able to touch you, hold you and kiss you when ever we like. We want to make love to you until you forget what today or tomorrow is. I can't simply get out of my mind how your body feels against mine and I want that feeling everyday," said Draco taking her other hand into his.

Hermione blushed at hearing those words. Her heart overwhelmed and the emotion poured out of her eyes in the form of happy tears. She pulled the hands that were holding hers to her heart sobbing and muttering something incoherently. Both Harry and Draco looked at each other over her shoulder confusingly.

"Granger, if you turn into a babbling bint every time, someone says something emotional, I'm going to leave you", Draco said seriously.

"Prat", she said laughing, clearly this time, wiping her eyes.

"Yes, he is. Now tell us", Harry urged her. Harry was looking at her expectantly and even Draco held the same expression in his eyes in spite of his sarcasm.

"Don't you know how I feel Harry? Look into my eyes and you'll know my answer right away", she said as her eyes sparkled in happiness. When both the men were sporting the same confusion on their faces she gave them a beatific smile saying, "I'd like that too".

Harry Potter couldn't wait a second longer as he pulled his best friend, his girlfriend and the love of his life and gave her lips a scorching kiss that made her toes curl.

They pulled apart as their blond companion started grumbling from behind. "Stupid Gryffindors always wearing their bloody bleeding hearts on their sl….mmphh". He was suddenly cut off when she gave him an equally intensive kiss.

All three of them burst out laughing and came closer as their foreheads touched.

"What next?" Draco asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have a very romantic date with two hot guys", Hermione said winking at them as she moved out of their grasp.

"That you do", they said grasping her offered hands. Once they are connected she apparated them to her Parents' house, the three of them eagerly awaiting the next chapter in their life.

The end


End file.
